Brandenburg Gate: Memorial to Division and Unity I History Stories Special

Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate is a national symbol and one of Berlin's best-known landmarks. Like no other structure, it reflects Germany's turbulent past.
Why does this edifice captivate Germans? This History Stories Special delves into the gate's eventful history and reveals its innermost secrets. We feature people whose lives on both sides of the Iron Curtain were connected to the Brandenburg Gate in a special way.
00:00 What is the Brandenburg Gate?
03:35 The Gate during the cold war
09:05 How the Gate came to be in the 18th century
11:20 The Gate from the inside
13:30 How Napoleon took the Quadriga to France
15:50 The Gate between Emperors and Revolutionists in the 19th and 20th century
19:20 The Gate during the Nazi Era and the second world war
23:32 The Gate during the cold war part 2
35:40 The Gate during the fall of the Berlin Wall
39:40 The Gate gets renovated
40:58 The Gate today
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[@kacperwoch4368]

Fun fact, the sandstone used in the gate's construction comes from Lwówek in Poland, known in German as Löwenberg in Schlesien, back from when Silesia was part of kingdom of Prussia. It's quite a distance from Berlin but it seems Prussian monarchs really liked it. In fact much of sandstone used in Berlin comes from either Radków (Wünschelburg) or Lwówek (Löwenberg).

[@KurtKind]

This is not true! Until 1945 the gate was made from Saxon Sandstone like the Berlin castle. The repairings were made from a variety of quarrys. Also was Sandstone from Nebra (Next to Halle) and Bamberg used in Berlin.

[@KurtKind]

Sry I mixed Bamberg and Bayreuth

[@kacperwoch4368]

@@KurtKind I would have assumed all of sandstone in Berlin came from Saxony but i found mentions that at least part of it comes from Radków and Lwówek. For now i can't find any good sources confirming the use of it in the Gate but i found a German source confirming that Berlin's Kommandantenhaus was originally built mostly out of Silesian sandstone and during its reconstruction in 2002 the Radków sandstone was also used.

[@DWHistoryandCulture]

Thanks for sharing this insight!

[@cgardner85]

And I’ll be seeing the Branderburg Gate this May 😊

[@captainnima]

My son and I visited the Brandenburg Gate just 2 days ago on our trip. Definitely worthwhile and also Berlin is gorgeous to visit. I grew up with the wall being there and watched from afar the events. This awesome documentary was perfect timing for us. We’re still in Berlin and will visit the gate once more before leaving. Happy New Year 2024.

[@suskagusip1036]

I remembered it too well. I used to read hard life stories in reader's digest between the East/West Germany. Stories similar to North/South Korea. Glad you all have the courage to correct the dark past and united as one now. We had our 1986 People Power Revolution in the Philippines and you all followed. I think the world woke up. Too sad ours never learned from the past. Our leader is the son of the person we took out of office by People Power. Hope he will correct the mistake of his Dad.Thanks to your documentary.

[@mathisnotforthefaintofheart]

"And we have just one world, but we live in different ones..." Brothers in arms...

[@simonhattrell5321]

Thank you so much DW again for such a well researched quality production. I do enjoy all your work. I was in Berlin for a year in 1967-8 a momentous time and used to visit East Berlin frequently. 40 years later in 2008 I finally got to walk through the gate - an amazing feeling. The German people and nation still face many challenges after the events of the last century and I have nothing but admiration for the way they have, in the main, not just coped but taken them on and risen from the ashes of 1945 and the division that ensued.

[@DWHistoryandCulture]

Thank you! We're glad you liked the documentary. Subscribe to our channel for the latest uploads.

[@JohnThreeSixteen918]

Thank you for this historical review. I have long been fascinated with the Brandenburg gate. Good to see how well it is being looked after. 👍

[@DWHistoryandCulture]

Thank you! We're glad you liked the documentary. Subscribe to our channel for the latest uploads.

[@wordscapes5690]

As a student of opera, I once busked there, long, long ago. The Germans were extremely generous.

[@MrDellasc]

I visited Berlin in 1992 on my honeymoon. It’s really cleaned and built up. I remember souvenir stands selling Russian hats/caps near the gate, and the difference between West Berlin and East Berlin at that time, in how the West was very modern looking vs the eastern side. The East Germans were much nicer to tourists than the West Berliners, which I thought was interesting. I’ll have to go into the photo album and look at the photos I took. Great video!

[@stevep641]

Visited Christmas 2022. Really interesting building and city. Hope to go back in summertime for another visit ❤

[@Tobi-ln9xr]

I was always very fascinated by the Brandenburg Gate. It surprises me that its "only" 20 meters high, it looks definitely higher than that.

[@mathisnotforthefaintofheart]

26 meters

[@willewiking98]

actually getting to visit the gate was one of my favourite memories of berlin, also walking down the tiergarten towards the siegessäule with my friends and always having the gate in view behind us. simply magical

[@Tobi-ln9xr]

this is really a perfectly made and very interesting documentary. It definitely deserves more views...

[@johnreynolds5407]

Superb, fair and judicious documentary.

[@DiggerWhoops]

Excellent video. Thank you!!!!

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Another wonderful documentary shared by an excellent ( DW) documentary channel about..Brandenburg Gate exist beneath German history from its constructed times to nowadays...as beloved figures beneath Germans feeling...thank you ( DW) documentary channel for sharing this magnificent documentary

[@DWHistoryandCulture]

Thank you! We're glad you liked the documentary. Subscribe to our channel for the latest uploads.

[@Gunstar1986]

I wish i could speak German. I would love to see Berlin and the rest of Germany. It looks amazing.

[@10digitsup]

Thank you for a GREAT documentary. I was there, from Ottawa, not long after the wall came down.

[@DWHistoryandCulture]

Thank you! We're glad you liked the documentary. Subscribe to our channel for the latest uploads.

[@soumimukherjee6748]

Fantastic documentary..can’t wait to visit n experience this historical giant

[@fabiodeoliveiraribeiro1602]

A nice documentary about a beautiful architectural work. Seeing the insides of this monument is truly fantastic. I wrongly imagined that the Brandenburg Gate was solid. 😂😂😂

[@tasty_ai]

Beautiful Documentary.

[@markcummings1319]

Very nice work you’ve done.

[@miniena7774]

What an incredible documentary.

[@DWHistoryandCulture]

Thank you! We're glad you liked it. Subscribe to our channel for the latest uploads.

[@razor2k911]

Fascinating story. ❤

[@Koolarrow1987]

Thanks for reminding me.

[@lizzapaolia959]

Excellent video thank you for sharing. God bless 🙏

[@kacodemonio]

6:00 badass move Siegfried :)

[@dirkhardy3489]

As an Citizen from Berlin the first time I went through the Gate it was on the evening before the reunification of DDR and BRD . It was the 2 nd of oktober 1990.

[@billtrinidad8895]

thanks that was so nice

[@krayxeez]

What a Nice video. Thank you again DW. :) Love from your neighbor 🇨🇿

[@DWHistoryandCulture]

Thank you for your warm words :)

[@brettbrown9261]

I can remember being there in winter 95/96 it was still a barren wasteland around the gate, but at least I got great pictures and no tourists, good times...

[@joselitorosales7227]

Im so amazed this country like it specially the capital city & Brandenburg gate, i hope someday i could visit this world famous gate

[@sarowarrafi2140]

Thank you.

[@MotDoiAnLac258]

cảm ơn bạn đã chia sẻ.

[@user-tb9sv2jm8o]

Dear DW：我的家門，我自己護。LONG LIVE GERMANY！lT lS A GRACEFUL GATE。

[@billmago7991]

Very entertaining

[@bowlampar]

WA with two 'LL' below Quadriga is always a hell lot better than WA with a 'R' for the Germans. Nothing to worry, cheer! 🍻

[@Tobi-ln9xr]

24:59 That wasn't a soviet flag. It was just a red flag which is/was often used in socialist/communist countries. You can even see those red flags today in Beijing, China.

[@rms.1362]

Dw sería muy bueno que esté canal de historia y cultura lo pongas doblado al español latino porque es muy bueno todos los documentales pero hay millones de personas que no sabemos inglés y ponerle los subtítulos no es lo mismo , ojalá q algún día podrías hacerlo.

[@erik_griswold]

Weren’t the hooks used by the East to hang curtains behind Kennedy when he spoke at the Sector border in 1963?

[@suevialania]

🇵🇹👍🏻💚❤️ Wunderbar 🇩🇪

[@howllingwilly]

How did the builders manage to left all of that Sandstone 20 meters high in the 1790's? What type of crane did they use back then?

[@Koolarrow1987]

I think this is the only thing that I have not done. I've entered the holy city before but not this entrance.

[@mauriciootin4640]

Why is Colin Robinson narrating the dubbed parts!??

[@olowrohek9540]

Used to living in this area Dzewicze tribes?

[@user-co1bb4jp6r]

Fun fact DW released this video in 2021 it was available for a few months and mysteriously disappeared, but now has been re uploaded? That is a mystery of history I would like to know why 😂

[@Tobi-ln9xr]

Does Ganßauge know that he is a criminal or was he also just "following orders"?

[@pigoff123]

I have been on bith sides before and after the wall came down.

[@pigoff123]

Both

[@godofrock]

Fun fact my great grandfather got his first kiss under the gate. He too was conquered that day. married 4 months later to the same girl.

[@ricardosanfernando7378]

Great video The Max-Liebermann-Haus and the Commerzbank buildings by its side are hiddeous and horrible. I can´t gess why bilding such ssquare blocks to ruin the view of the beautiful gate

[@Koolarrow1987]

O I think I have been under the gate.

[@Continentalmunkey88]

The stresses and strains on the non-working class are much more severe and danagerous and harsher and body decay is 2x or 3x so there are some differences between cupcakes and muffins

[@steenrasmussen2371]

And we still not learn .....we have one earth, so we have too leave together

[@richthomas9170]

A troubled Future.

[@Symboliic]

This brings me hope that one day, it may be possible for the rest of the German diaspora to be reunited with the Fatherland. We are silently suffering the erasure of our people, language, culture, and history. I pray that thier are those who will steward away in a secret place the seeds of our beloved homeland, so that one day we can again rise as tall as the oak trees. For whom will care for our nation if not us.

[@ivanexell-uz4mv]

Nope. You invaded Europe

[@Symboliic]

@@ivanexell-uz4mv Care to explain?

[@ivanexell-uz4mv]

@@Symboliic The Nazis

[@mikethedinoman8970]

@@ivanexell-uz4mv Huh?

[@douglasfur3808]

I was curious about the cartoon of Napoleon packing off the Quadriga. The staff Victory carries has a different finial. Does it represent the original design? I think the GDR was correct in removing the Prussian cross and eagle, (even a broken clock is right twice a day). It is an addendum to the original design which as others have pointed out celebrates a Prussian military victory. What was the original design and would restoring it be a more unifying symbol for all of Germany?

[@ryanreedgibson]

Aggressive capitalists? Did the GDR guard forget that Stalin also invaded Poland? Stalin and Hitler were identical with the exclusion of why they killed. One did it for race and the other for power.

[@GreytDays-rx5sg]

Brandenburger 24

[@thanksmaybe4103]

Germany you get rid of that gate and you lost all your balls

[@ruyaal]

😂😂They already have!

[@kuremaClaimer]

And the latest news is environmentalist ruining it and Israeli flag. The building tend to collect dusts. Anyway, I would go see it if I have a chance to visit Berlin.

[@_zoinks2554]

How about a Konigsburg documentary DW? Now would be a good time to get your old city back. Btw, have you Germans removed all the Soviet monuments in Berlin yet? Get moving on that if not.

[@DWHistoryandCulture]

Don't need your advice on what's to be done. Thanks.

[@_zoinks2554]

@@DWHistoryandCulture So many delicious doner kebab shops in Berlin during my last trip but I really enjoyed the Wienerschitzel. I wonder if they have that in Kaliningrad? Unfortunately I can't visit there now because, well you know.

[@mohammad-tb2ph]

Be careful

[@squigmcguigan8965]

Surely. Any War damage should be left exposed & not repaired. As these scars are all part of the gates history.

[@jacovawernett3077]

Happy New Year. Geshem Israel elehenu Adonai Hashem.

[@petermacander5039]

Ronald Reagan's two sentences were worth so much more than John F. Kennedy's two-year delayed "Ich bin ein jelly donut" speech and so much more effectual, too!

[@RohanGeorgeAby]

One day. I will drive an expensive car on the high speed road

[@marbanak]

A sweet and beautiful people were seduced three times in the last century: WW1, WW2 and the Russian occupation. Let us learn all we can from their turn-around.

[@parthomukherjee4641]

232811

[@dagmarvandoren9364]

Could you ever promote our beloved country. With friends like dw. Who needs enemies.......hich lebe deutschland....america and Britain. Put us down 24 hours. You need to help?

[@UnAutreCompte-zr6eo]

Most people see through sensationalism used to frame Germany as this evil country. While the US and UK are currently engaging in revisionism of their dark history (going so far as teaching a "nuanced" version of slavery), Germany deserve credit for how it has always acknowledged their history and used it as a reminder to prevent any future tragedy. US & UK disapproval is so worthless given their own absence of morality, and more and more people come to realize that. Germany is more than its history ❤

[@UnAutreCompte-zr6eo]

Very one sided recap, would have greatly benefited from an unbiased approach in my humble opinion.

[@martinfiedler4317]

A traffic gate that can't accommodate traffic, being too fragile. What a sad national symbol. Sadly fitting to today's Germany!

[@kidmohair8151]

personal opinion. I don't think the iron cross and oak wreath should have gone back up.

[@martinfiedler4317]

Same here. It celebrates a military victory over France and is simply unfitting to a peaceful country. Besides that, the laurel wreath looked more harmonic...

[@metafeedburner]

Fake, a German in a high basket without 26 types of safety harness, yeah right.

[@Backwardlooking]

A monument to Prussian militarism.

[@damonmelendez856]

So what

[@Tobi-ln9xr]

Yes beautiful, isn't it?

[@martinfiedler4317]

Yes. The same militarism that brought terrible pain over Europe and finally resulted in the destruction of Germany. It's mind-boggling that the Palast des Volkes was torn down but this structure was restored.

[@damonmelendez856]

@@martinfiedler4317 you can’t dwell on the past like a depressed person. If someone hates themselves so much there are plenty of ways to deal with it

[@flavio1243]

​@@martinfiedler4317interesting that this bad-mouthing of yours does not come anywhere near the truth.

[@dagmarvandoren9364]

Please leave our country alone. Make peace. Always these wars. Future. All in this clipped ENGLISCH. Are you Deutsch.....zukunft bitte. Brandenburger. Tor....brendenborg gat........bitte

[@DWHistoryandCulture]

We're not quite sure we're following along just yet. Would you care to elaborate?

[@JuniorJuni070]

it’s an symbol of imperialism and germanic pride.. it’s build with pride not whatever you people think.. nonsense.

[@Brainbaskit]

Die Klappe

[@flavio1243]

Prous that we have this monument for show and it lasted this long

[@JuniorJuni070]

@@flavio1243 it’s beautiful

[@maxman4948]

Germany should unite all old german land

[@DWHistoryandCulture]

It's fine as it is.